FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
SPOKANE, Wash. – With the start season on the horizon, the 2013 Gonzaga University baseball team will begin its quest for a West Coast Conference championship as it plays a 54-game slate highlighted by 19 homes games at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field as Bulldog head coach Mark Machtolf released the schedule Tuesday.
“Our schedule is very challenging as always,” Machtolf said. “We are thankful to our administration that gave us the opportunity to go out and play the best teams in the country. We will test ourselves and get ready to compete for the WCC Championship.”
The Bulldogs will indeed play some of the best teams in the nation, including six of Collegiate Baseball’s Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I pre-season poll squads. No. 1 overall University of Arkansas, No. 6 University of Oregon, No. 10 Oregon State University, No. 12 University of San Diego, No. 16 Arizona State University and No. 40 Pepperdine University will all be on the Bulldogs 2013 docket.
GU will also take on five teams that received votes in the poll including the University of California, Appalachian State University, Washington State University, University of Washington and UNLV.
Gonzaga opens the season with the first 16 games on the road starting Feb. 15 in Palm Springs, Calif., for the Palm Springs Tournament. The Zags kick off the tournament with a doubleheader against Utah Valley University and UC Riverside. Gonzaga will also face Oregon State and Utah Valley a second time over the weekend.
Following the Palm Springs Tournament Gonzaga will travel to Stockton, Calif., on Feb. 22 where it will face UNLV and the University of the Pacific, the latter joining the WCC for all sports in the fall of 2013.
The Bulldogs will play in its second tournament beginning March 1 in Surprise. Ariz., for the Coca-Cola Classic. The Zags will face elite competition in Arkansas, Arizona State and Pacific.
The 16-game road stretch will conclude March 12 after Gonzaga finishes a five-game set in Honolulu, Hawaii against the University of Hawai’i.
“We start on the road in some tough environments,” Machtolf said. “We will face quality opponents all year long.”
The Bulldogs’ first home game will take place on March 15 when WCC foe University of San Francisco, visits Spokane. The three-game series is the WCC opener for the Zags.
Also playing the Zags on its home field this season will be the University of San Diego (March 22-24), Brown University (March 26), Saint Mary’s College (April 12-14), Washington (April 23, 24), BYU (April 25-27) and Appalachian State (May 11, 12).
The Gonzaga and Washington State in-state rivalry will continue this season when the Bulldogs travel to Pullman three times March 19, April 2 and April 16.
The 2013 slate will conclude with a four-game road trip against two Pacific-12 clubs. Gonzaga will take on Oregon May 14-15, before finishing the season at California March 20-21.
Post season action could begin May 23 if Gonzaga finishes in the top four of the WCC. For the first time the conference is hosting a four-team playoff format at a neutral-site. Action will take place in Stockton, Calif., at Banner Island Ballpark.
